GULF SHORES, Ala. (February 1, 2020) – When Lubbock Christian University stepped off the field to close their 2019 season at the Heartland Conference Tournament, it was due to a walk-off loss in the tournament championship round against Oklahoma Christian. Saturday, the Lady Chaparrals opened their 2020 season with back-to-back extra-inning victories over nationally ranked opponents. Key pinch hits and spot-on pitching performances allowed LCU to defeat No.9 Florida Tech 5-4 in nine innings and No.24 Valdosta State 4-3 in eight innings Saturday at Gulf Shores Sportsplex. The pair of wins helped LCU head coach Daren Hays achieve his 400^th career softball coaching victory (all at LCU) and open the season 2-0 at the Gulf Shores Invitational.
 
GAME INFORMATION
Score: Game 1: LCU 5, No.9 Florida Tech 4 | Game 2: LCU 4, No.24 Valdosta State 3 
Records: LCU (2-0), FT (0-1), VSU (0-2)
Location: Gulf Shores, Ala. (Sportsplex)
Time of Game: Game 1: 2:33 | Game 2: 1:46
Weather: Game 1: 55-Cloudy | Game 2: 54-Mostly Cloudy

Game 1 vs. Florida Tech

LCU Highlights:

• Athena Muniz game-tying RBI off a pinch-hit triple.
• Taylor Franco went 8.2 innings and allowed one earned run off four hits in 8.2 innings.
• Clarissa Martinez went 2-for-4 and also led LCU on the field with a team-high four assists.

Turning Point:
Muniz had the game's only extra-base hit and it came in the bottom of the eighth inning with one out and the tying runner at third base. The at-bat was her first at-bat ever as a Lady Chaparrals.

How it Happened:

• Pinch runner Hannah Banker scored the first LCU run of the season, scoring from second base on an error hit into by Tyla Lee with two outs in the fifth innning.
• Florida Tech forced extra innings in the sixth inning with an unearned run. Jaden Kline produced the run off a sacrifice fly.
• In extra innings, the international tie-breaker rule was in use. Each team manufactured a run. LCU was trailing 2-1 in the bottom of the eighth inning when they received a triple by Muniz off a pinch-hit at-bat. She was left stranded at third base and the teams headed into the ninth inning.
• An infield single on a sac-bunt attempt led to FT scoring two runs in the inning and the Panthers led 4-2. In the bottom of the ninth inning, Brooke Makemson and Annika Schwartzenberg each hit infield singles, and with two outs, Addi Lewis hit into an error, which allowed two runs to score and the Lady Chaps walked it off. Makemson was the winning run.

Inside the Numbers:

• LCU improved to 13-0 in season openers. The contest was LCU's first season-opener away from home since 2013 and the first to be decided by one run.
• Florida Tech committed four errors in the game. Ironically, Texas-Permian Basin produced four errors in last season's season opener, which ended up matching the season high for an LCU opponent during the season.
• LCU had seven players making their LCU debut, of the 14 players that played in the game for the Lady Chaps.
• The Panthers were 1-for-7 with runners in scoring position, while LCU was 3-for-12.

Game 2 vs. Valdosta State

LCU Highlights:

• Angela Donaldson was 1-for-1 with a pinch-hit three-run homer.
• Skylar Herrera had an RBI.
• Freshman Maxine Valdez pitched 3.0 innings of relief and allowed one hit while striking out three batters for the win.

Turning Point:
Facing an 0-2 count with two outs in the top of the seventh inning, and LCU trailing 3-0, Donaldson slugged a three-run home run to left field to force extra innings.

How it Happened:

• Valdosta State left fielder Jordenne Gaten hit a solo blast to leadoff the bottom of the first inning. She also hit a solo home run in the fifth inning, which gave the Blazers a 3-0 lead.
• Donaldson's home run led to extra innings, and with the international rule played out, Herrera hit a sacrifice fly to centerfield to score Alexa Riggs. During the VSU at-bats, a foul out set up the Blazers with a two-out situation with the tying run at third base. Valdez ended up striking out Haley Garrett with the tying run stranded to end the game.

Inside the Numbers:

• LCU's Jordan Wehr started in the circle and pitched 5.0 innings. In the early innings, she had a stretch in which six outs were recorded off of six pitches.
• Of the 15 outs hit into by LCU, 12 were fly-outs.
• VSU was 1-for-8 with runners in scoring position.
• The last time LCU won consecutive games over a ranked opponent was Mar. 3, 2015 against St. Mary's, and the last time it was consecutive games against two different ranked programs was May 28, 2013 facing Oklahoma City and Williams Baptist College (both games were in Columbus, Ga.).
• The last time LCU won consecutive games in extra innings was in early March of the 2018 season (Newman and Texas A&M International were the opponents).
• Coach Daren Hays is the 53^rd active coach in NCAA Division II softball to reach 400 career wins, and the only active coach to accomplish the feat in less than 11 seasons (this is Hays' 10^th season as head coach of LCU softball).

Up Next:
LCU remains in Alabama Sunday and will face Tennessee-based Lee University with a 9 a.m. first pitch in Gulf Shores, Ala.